A Texas man is speaking out about his miraculous escape from an attempted carjacking that could have ended much worse. The Houston homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, recently recounted a harrowing January incident to FOX 26 Houston where two males followed him home from a nearby gas station and tried to steal his jeep at gunpoint.
The homeowner explained that one of the suspects, who is believed to be a teenager, demanded that he turn over the keys to his jeep, which were in a backpack on the passenger seat unbeknownst to the suspects. The second suspect then grabbed the backpack and ran off, preventing the other suspect from starting the car. The homeowner then began chasing the suspect with the backpack at which point he heard gunshots coming from the first suspect who was behind him.
“The complainant started to run after the suspect that had his backpack and heard gunshots coming from the first suspect, who was running behind him,” the Houston Police Department posted on YouTube along with video of the incident. “The suspect that had the backpack also heard the gunshots, causing him to drop the backpack. The complainant was then able to recover his backpack (with all his property) as both suspects caught up with each other at the 3500 block of W. Holcombe.”
The Houston homeowner explained that the suspects were likely surprised by his actions and were bamboozled. “Usually when they say give me your keys, somebody gives it to them right away, and they’re gone. It didn’t happen that way, so they were bamboozled,” he said. “They didn’t know what to do. Luckily, it was a bunch of errors, or I probably wouldn’t be talking to you today.”
The two suspects are described by police as a Black male with a black hoodie and dark pants, and a Black male, with a black or gray hoodie, black pants and yellow shoes. Both suspects are said to have sped off in a blue Chevy Camaro.
Anyone with information on the crime is being asked to call Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
The attempted carjacking serves as a timely reminder of the importance of being aware of your surroundings and taking proactive measures to protect yourself. Installing a home security system and taking self-defense classes are just two of the steps that people can take to protect themselves and their property. It’s also important to remember that if you’re ever in a dangerous situation, it’s always better to cooperate with any demands rather than to attempt to fight back.
